God’s Promise: Love Eternal

He will give unto them beauty for ashes

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As night gives way to the dawn, so too our God turns sorrow into joy, ashes into beauty.
He will never leave us to suffer in pain to suffer alone.
He will not forsake us but will remain constant through tribulations.
Ours is not a God made with hands or designed by human imagination.
He is real.
He is the true and living God who sits sovereign on his throne.
Nothing escapes him.
His children are not lost.
He comforts us all and loves us equally.
Great is his love and his faithfulness.

And the Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and satisfy your bones: and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:11

the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear. Isaiah 59:1

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. Isaiah 61:3

God’s Promises in Action: Confidence

The Lord God is my strength.

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Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Habakkuk 3:17

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3: 18

The Prophet speaks with confidence though there is nothing, and everything around is dry and desolate, he will praise the Lord.

The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon my high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. Habakkuk 3:19


He will surrender to God and let Him guide his feet like hinds’ feet. The feet of a hind a female deer is sure and solid, swift, and beautiful. Their steps are even. The back legs follow the front legs in perfect symmetry and precision. There is no faltering, no slipping because the front legs are wonderfully pivotal as guides for the entire body.

Like the ancient prophet Habakkuk, I have confidence in my God. If I slip, He guides me back onto the right path. In those high places of worship, I am light and graceful as a gazelle while I sing my praises and adoration to God, the highest

More About the Bible: Part 5 Exodus

It is a story of oppression leading to deliverance.

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The second book of the Torah or the Pentateuch is Exodus. Translated from the Greek language meaning going out or departure.

It is a story of oppression leading to deliverance. By the mighty hand of God, his people are set free to serve him in a land he promised back to Abraham (the patriarch). In the book of Exodus there are about seven themes:

  • Confinement and freedom
  • Family and community
  • the Rise of Civilization
  • Stubbornness
  • The Covenant
  • Law and Society
  • Reputation

Part 5 to be continued…

More About the Bible: Part 4

Let us make man in our image.

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Genesis

Author: Moses

Written: between 1446 and 1406 BC

Details:

  • first book of the Hebrew Bible called bereshit or in the beginning and the first book of the Christian Bible.
  • Genesis is the Greek word meaning origin or beginning.
  • First book of the Torah or the Law
  • Primeval history
  • Ancestral history

First Line sets the tone of the entire book, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.

The Primeval history consists of relationships. The first relationship presented and most important, is the relationship between God and the Son as mapped out in the name of God or Elohim. The root El translated from Hebrew into English for God, the first name of God as seen in Genesis 1:1. Elohim is the plural for God. The Hebrews of the Old Testament had only one God who was Yahweh. They believed in monotheism which is the worship of one God. As Elohim is plural and Eloah is singular, this is the first evidence that the Son was with God the Father in eternity past before the creation.
And God said, “let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26) In the beginning, before time began, He was not alone but, is speaking with someone else.
Then there is the relationship between God and man and the relationship between man and beasts and then man and woman as seen in the creation story. (Chapters 1- 11)
The ancestral history details the rise of the nation of Israel as God’s chosen people and God’s covenant to Abraham (the patriarch) and his descendants. (Chapters 12-50)

Overview

  • Creation and the fall, (so-called original sin, casting out of the Garden, first promise of God, first murder and first murderer, the story of Cain and Abel) 1:1-5:32
  • Noah and his descendants, (the Ark, the Deluge, tower of Babel, dividing of language) 6:1-11:26
  • Abram (Abraham) and his descendants, (command to leave the Ur of the Chaldees, Covenant of God with Abram, Melchizedek the King of Salem and high priest of El Elyon is introduced, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s Wife, the birth of Moab and Ammon, Ishmael of Haggai, Abraham’s last test, the sacrifice of Isaac and Abraham’s belief in the promise of God and belief in resurrection is introduced) 11:27-25:18
  • Story of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau, (stolen birthright, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, birth of Edom, the twelve sons of Jacob, brotherly jealousy, coat of many colors)25:19-36:43
  • Story of Joseph, (coat of many colors destroyed, Joseph sold into slavery, Joseph becomes governor, reunion of all the brothers and forgiveness, Jacob journeys to Egypt, the families all go down to Egypt and Joseph’s death) 37:1-50:26

More About the Bible: Part 3

The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Pentateuch.

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The sixty-six books of the Bible are categorized into nine classifications:

  • The Pentateuch
  • History
  • Poetry
  • Prophets
  • Gospels
  • History
  • Pauline Epistles
  • General Epistles
  • Prophecy – Apocalypse

The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Pentateuch which title comes from the Greek Penta meaning, five and teuchos meaning scroll. Also known as the Law or the books of Moses, the lawgiver. In Jewish tradition, these five books make up what is called the Torah. The books begin with Genesis that chronicles the Creation, the covenant with Abraham and his descendants to Deuteronomy, ending with the death of Moses. Many scholars discuss the authorship of these books with the consensus that Moses composed them.

More About the Bible: Part 2 the Two Testaments

the Bible is divided into two sections called the old testament and the new testament.

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The Bible is divided into two sections called the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is a total of sixty- six books in the Christian Bible, the Old Testament consists of thirty-nine books whereas the New Testament consists of twenty-seven books. 

Historical Fact:

The Old Testament was first coined by Melito of Sardis a Greek Bishop in the 2nd Century CE at Lydia which is today, Turkey.

A testament of the Bible is a historical record of God’s promise or covenant.

Quick Facts Old Testament (OT) VS Testament (NT)

  • OT is the history of a people 
  • NT speaks of a person
  • OT is based on the law as given by Moses
  • NT is based on the grace of God as seen in Jesus Christ 
  • OT is about his chosen people the Jews/Hebrews
  • NT is about the church
  • OT views the wrath of God against sin 
  • NT shows the grace of God towards sinners 
  • OT predicts the Messiah (Isaiah 53) 
  • NT reveals the Messiah (John 4:25-26)
  • OT presents God’s Law
  • NT Jesus the Messiah fulfills that law 
  • OT the blessings are physical 
  • NT the blessings are spiritual
  • OT shows the beginning of days (Creation)
  • NT shows the end of days (God will put all things right) 
  • OT forecasts the sufferings of Christ (Psalms) 
  • NT the fulfillment of the sufferings of Christ (Gospels) 
  • OT old creation (Genesis) 
  • NT new creation
  • OT first Adam (Genesis) 
  • NT last Adam (Gospels) 

More About the Bible Leading to the Book of John: Part 1

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More about the Bible
The Bible is the most influential book named in the world. Translated into every known existing language, it is still read daily by large numbers of people around the world. The Bible is more than a so-called religious book filled with instructions for life and commandments to follow, it has changed lives, laid out foundations of many governments to follow, it is the basis on which judicial and educational institutions around the globe dedicate their code of conduct. In general, it chronicles the ancient promises to the Jewish people and their activities, but further historically, it is sometimes used as an anthropological bridge to help verify lost gaps of time for the dating of ancient events and people when no other script is accurate enough.
Whether you are a true Believer in God and his only son Jesus Christ or not, the Bible is the Word of God and is given “by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The Bible is not just a book, but it tells God’s plans for mankind from the beginning of creation right to the future when the Son of God shall reign forever.

God’s Promises: He calls it

to give you a future and a hope.

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There is hope amid hopelessness.
There is light when it is dark,
with his promises to hold.
He will never forsake you.
He will never leave you to stumble in the dark.
He has a purpose and a plan for every one of his children.
Wait in stillness and confidence, knowing that God will never fail for when God calls it, it will be complete.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29: 11 ESV

God’s Promise: No one shall perish

Jesus Christ the son of God, suffered for us and died for us.

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God promises salvation to everyone who believes in his son, the son of his love.
God loved us even before the world began. He gave us everything to enjoy, but we plunged the world into sin which, separated us from our Creator.
But God so loved the world; he had a remedy.
He sent his only son to earth that we can be saved.
His son became the perfect sacrifice for sin, he became the remedy to bring mankind back to a holy God and to make us fit to call God our Father.
Jesus Christ, the son of God, suffered for us and died for us. Nothing but a perfect sacrifice would appease God, so his son must die in our place, a place we deserve because of our sinful nature. (John 3:16)


God’s Promises in Action: Abraham

he staggered not a the promise of God through unbelief

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Abraham, the friend of God, received a promise.
To be the father of many nations, the heir of the world.
Impossible when the body was old and frail.
In a moment of unbridled weakness, believing it best to help God, they formed a plan.
Unfortunately, the plan was flawed future lines of adversity created.
Then in the fullness of time, a reawakening began.
The promise given a decade ago was now, reality.
To be an heir there must be a living legacy.
Abraham, by faith, believed God at his word. The idea of resurrection brought the promise to fruition. He was fully persuaded that what God promised, God was also able to perform. (Romans 4:21)
God is not slack concerning his promise. By faith, Abraham received his promise; it was inputted unto him for righteousness. (James 2:23 and Romans 4:22)

“Who against hope believed in hope, and being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb; he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” (Romans 4:17-19)